I can work with virtually any type of wood. If you are looking for a natural edge bowl,there are certain attributes that the piece you send to me must have: The bark must be tight to the wood. If the tree has been down for several months the natural drying process will loosen the bark. I can still work with the piece but know that the edge may lose some or all of the bark. I have turned bowls with and without bark. The process will reveal what is possible for each bowl. The best parts for a bowl are often the least wanted parts by others. The crotch of the tree, where a large leader branches off, will yield beautiful grain patterns.This area of the tree is not desired for lumber and is a pain to split for firewood. Having lived in the mountains of New Hampshire for 25 years I know about firewood! The piece you send should be at least 10 inches in diameter and 12 inches long. I can work with smaller pieces but it really limits the options. A 10 inch diameter log will yield a bowl about 3 1/2 inches deep. Natural bowls bigger than 12 inches in diameter become very unstable to work with and will often crack. I have no idea what the bowl will look like until I start turning it. The turning process may reveal defects in the piece that have to be eliminated from the bowl or may be incorporated into the design. I won't know until I start turning. The piece needs to dry. If you send me a recently downed crotch from your prized Maple Tree, understand that I will turn it in the rough and then will have to air dry it for several weeks to a month or more before finishing it. I will send you pictures of the process but I cannot speed up nature. If you are looking to use lumber from your tree for a project there are some size restrictions. If you have your tree milled into lumber I can and will work with what you send me. If you want me to mill it, I can saw pieces much smaller than any mill or sawyer would even consider. I have re-saw capacity up to 12 inches. Most mills will not accept a log under 18 inches. A piece under 8 inches in diameter will yield very little usable lumber. The length of the log should be no more than 48 inches. Except for large table tops and tall bureaus, most furniture wood is less than 48 inches. Typical table height is 29-30 inches, chair height about 16, and most pieces of furniture are no more than 20 inches deep. I can get a lot out of a little. Whatever project you desire please understand wood is a living, breathing and moving material. I will work with the wood you send me as best I can, but small logs do not yield large amounts of lumber. The drying time for lumber is longer than for a bowl because it is thicker. As I said earlier, I cannot hurry nature. I look forward to helping you preserve your special tree in a unique piece made just for you.

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